I cannot say with absolute certainty, but I am convinced there are only two possibilities given Mother’s recent choice of topics.  Either she is going through an extended phase of infatuation with topics that are deeply erotic or could be considered very nearly so, or we are due to receive a delegation from the Yurisayan church at some point during the near future, and they will be practicing some of their rituals at the Great Library, with me as the volunteer.  Of course, a couple of weeks of topics is hardly a blink in the eye of someone Felaria’s age, but for myself, it seems quite long indeed.

Regardless I shall approach today’s choice as I always have.  Though often seen as quite secretive, Yurisaya’s faithful are perhaps the most open of the major religions, requiring the curious to simply inquire within their shrines and temples and to be willing to explore their own limits.  Rumors abound of forced inductions into the clergy, of painful rituals and years of physical torments, but I have yet to find concrete evidence of such things.  Likely such rumors are started by those who simply do not understand Yurisaya’s ways, and are fearful of the darker, carnal nature of her domain, especially when compared to the far gentler nature of her sister Erisaya.  Or, just as likely, they are confusing the actions of various cults with that of the Yurisayan clergy, for there have been many, many cases of evil cults practicing similar rituals against the will of captured victims.

The topic itself is broad, so I shall have to focus upon the details of such religious practices that I am most familiar with, having spoken to directly to several priests and priestesses personally, as well as some who tried to join up only to find that their faith was not as strong as they had first thought.  Firstly, as Yurisaya is the darker of the Lovely Sisters, her clergy tends to wear black as their primary color, though additional favored colors include purples and reds, and they tend toward more revealing attire, either tightly fitting, diaphanous, or both, with certain more extreme exceptions in the case of their newest acolytes and most dedicated clergy.

Specifically, I am referring to their insistence upon strict chastity, enforced by custom-fitted metal and leather chastity gear, for both males and females.  Any who are inducted into the church officially must undergo a period of enforced chastity and denial, with their training specifically meant to enhance the desires they cannot act upon.  “Teasing and edging are commonplace…constant and unrelenting, for one must be at the peak of desire and desirability while being absolutely and utterly denied to truly find the goddess’s favor,” as I have been told.  Either one will presumably be driven mad, or, in due course, they will find their faith solidified and be inducted fully into the clergy as proper priests and priestesses.  At this point, during their ordination, the gear is removed and they are finally allowed to experience a long-awaited release.  Orgies are not uncommon during such events, I’m told.  Later in one’s life as a devoted of Yurisaya, they may then seek to further enhance their dedication by undergoing greater tests, once again donning their sacred chastity gear and entering into a period of intense desires and denials, perhaps lasting through the rest of their lives, though I am told they find fulfillment through other means than simple intercourse.

And I suppose that will be an excellent segway into the more extreme and oft-considered ‘darker” of Yurisaya’s practices, those focusing on heavy bondage, strict discipline, and harsh punishments.  Keeping in mind that the faithful do all this to themselves, often quite gleefully, and that only in specific circumstances such things are visited upon those not of the faith.  Most, if not all, of Yurisaya’s rituals and common practices involve some form of bondage; the aforementioned chastity gear is locked on, of course, and the acolytes are usually made to wear some form of bondage during their daily tasks, to heighten their struggles in performing their daily tasks, add to their frustrations, and improve their focus.  The larger rituals and ceremonies tend to involve various members of the clergy in various states of restraint, or, during the public celebrations, of those of the attendees who volunteer to take part. 

Much of Yurisaya’s perceived “vileness”, as it is described by some, comes from the higher level rituals which delve into the extremely painful, basically torture, that they inflict upon themselves.  And yes, it is torture, every bit as extreme as what any Imperial torturer would inflict upon a captured enemy, though performed with absolute consent and willingness of the “victim”.  The goddess’s grace will either see those who successfully complete such rituals healed completely once finished, or possessing scars that are seen as marks of honor left by the goddess herself; even the most heavily scarred of Yurisaya’s faithful are still considered to be quite beautiful by most, their scars usually forming something akin to divinely inspired art upon their bodies.

Of course, the Yurisayan clergy do have something of a deserved reputation that instills fear into the common man, as since the Empire has grown, the clergy have been entwined with it, as have other deities, of course, but usually in a less glorious light than the faithful would perhaps like to admit.  The Emperor has historically been quite fond of the Yurisayan torture methods, and has made it a requirement to have his most talented inquisitors and torturers to spend time training with the Yurisayans, if not outright employing members of the clergy into these positions.  Individuals who employ their pain-giving arts in such ways are known as Confessors and are typically described as having the most kind and caring personalities one could imagine, which is retained during even the darkest of interrogations.  Some accounts have stated that “they’ll make you scream for days, but whether that’s pain, pleasure, or some strange mix of both, who can really say?”  It is results that the Emperor desires, and the Yurisayans are more than capable of getting those results.

I feel as though I could go on for pages about Yurisaya’s practices, but my daily duties must be tended.  As much as I’m sure Mother would enjoy testing my knowledge further, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.